Botulism is a serious and sometimes deadly illness caused by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Illness occurring from this toxin is rare but extremely dangerous. The three forms the illness can express itself in are infant botulism, wound botulism and food-borne botulism. The bacteria itself is common in soil where it exists in seven different types labeled A to G. The only types that can cause botulism in humans are A, B, E and F. Any suspected manifestation of botulism is considered an emergency and should be attended to by medical professionals as quickly as possible.
Infant
Infant botulism occurs when a very young child ingests spores from the botulinum bacteria. The spores grow inside the infant's intestines where they release the botulism toxin. Infants one year old and younger should not be given honey to eat as it can contain clostridium botulinum spores.
Wound
If an open wound is infected with the clostridium botulinum bacterium the result is wound botulism. If you suspect you have an infection in a sore or other wound, seek prompt medical attention. Those who use street drugs are at a greater risk for wound botulism than others due to contaminated drugs and needles.
Food-Bourne
You can develop botulism by consuming foods contaminated with the nerve toxin. Often these foods are ones that have been home canned and are less acidic. Common culprits are green beans, asparagus, corn and beets. Other foods can contain the toxin as well, including some which are not canned. It is advisable to boil some canned products for 10 minutes or more to kill any botulism toxin that may exist.
Symptoms
Vision disturbances, slurred speech and swallowing difficulties are often the first symptoms of botulism. Affected infants may be very lethargic, constipated and reluctant to eat. All sufferers may experience muscle weakness, which can progress to paralysis. Respiration will also become impaired. Symptoms generally appear 12 to 36 hours following contamination from the toxin.
Treatment
Victims of botulism poisoning need to be hospitalized. Botulism cases that are diagnosed early can be addressed with an antitoxin, which can halt the progression of the toxin. Some patients may be placed on a ventilator (breathing machine) and kept in intensive care for several weeks. Infants are often given immune globulin, which acts similarly to the botulism antitoxin. Most patients who receive proper treatment will eventually recover from the poisoning.
Complications
Death sometimes occurs due to respiratory failure if prompt treatment is not administered. Long-term complications for survivors can include years of shortness of breath and fatigue. Nursing care and breathing therapies may be required for many months.
